"“Kape’t torta” means “coffee and cakes,” and our cake of choice at this Filipino bakery in Elmhurst is the soft, spongy torta mamón. It’s airy, but also a bit denser than your usual sponge cake, so it’s easier to dunk in a cup of extra-strong kapeng barako, the other part of the equation. There’s plenty of sweet stuff for ube-heads—or get your purple pastry fix from the ube pandesal, stuffed with cheese. There are some tables to hang out inside, and you can do some light grocery shopping for Filipino sauces and snacks." - molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, will hartman, willa moore, neha talreja